After enduring a lengthy period of incarceration spanning five years and four months, Kinfe Dagnew (MG), the former director general of the Metals & Engineering Corporation (MetEC), was granted release last week. Kinfe had been embroiled in a legal battle since 2018, facing charges of high-level corruption related to various transactions overseen during his tenure. Among the allegations were irregularities surrounding the Rivera Hotel and PVC Profile Factory, with accusations of transactions conducted without adherence to proper and legal bidding processes. His release was alongside the former head of the Somali Regional State, Abdi Mohamed Omar (Abdi Ile). According to a local media report, the Ministry of Justice sent a statement indicating that the charges against both have been dropped for "lasting public interest."